


Dragon Vs. Mountain

by sheron



Category: Iron Fist (TV)
Genre: Chocolate Box Exchange, Friendship, Gen, Post-Canon, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29236128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheron/pseuds/sheron
Summary: Danny and Ward's road trip together goes exactly as advertised.
Relationships: Ward Meachum & Danny Rand
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Dragon Vs. Mountain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sholio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sholio/gifts).



> The setting is based loosely on the [Irohazaka Winding Road](https://lh6.ggpht.com/-x1VlrTx-MTc/Uw3GXX4Hf4I/AAAAAAAAwWs/32w8bAX68FU/irohazaka-3%255B6%255D.jpg?imgmax=800) that weaves its way up from the Nikko city, in the [mountains north of Tokyo](https://lh4.ggpht.com/-3yD-j_jEH9A/Uw3GJRDZySI/AAAAAAAAwWE/DnrDMuUWhk8/irohazaka-11%255B3%255D.jpg?imgmax=800).

"You're coming with me," Danny said. 

"It'll be fun," he said.  


* * *

Ward held on to the wheel with a white-knuckled grip, as their car lurched around the bend in the empty road winding down the slope of a mountain. The single-lane patch of wet, black asphalt seemed to perpetually fade into the fog some twenty feet away, before revealing a new hairpin turn, with an even more treacherous climb down. At least the setting sun was to the side. The occasional ray blazed across the side-mirror, but never fully blinded Ward, as the angry red circle rolled behind the naked treetops in the distance.

For this stretch of the road trip, their car was a Civic manual, rented back in town in Danny's broken Japanese. With the headlights off, its black paint would blend in with the surroundings in the coming darkness. Ward shifted gears for the straight stretch of the road, checked the rear-view mirror and saw no pursuers, nothing but remnants of melting snow, and more trees on the hilly incline. He chanced a look at the passenger seat. 

Danny was pressing a bunched up grey t-shirt to the gunshot wound in his shoulder, his head thrown back against the headrest. The sheen of sweat on his forehead was noticeable even in the dim lighting.

"Ward, watch the road," Danny said, with remarkable calm for someone bleeding on his car seat. Ward refocused, and made the next sharp turn with nary a screeching tire.

After they left Hokkaido and the yakuza behind and drove south, there'd been a good stretch of weeks where nobody was chasing them as they bummed their way from one private ryokan to the next, and Ward had started to let his guard down. Evidently so had Danny. This time Randall's men had ambushed them in an old Buddhist shrine up top a mountain, and they'd barely gotten away with their lives. 

Ward's eyes tripped sideways and over to the blood-stained cloth covering Danny's injury.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'll be better when we tie off the wound." Danny's voice was tight.

"Want me to stop?" Ward didn't see any road shoulder to roll onto, but they also seemed to be the only car on the road down. Between it being early spring and close to dusk, the single-lane winding road was deserted.

Giving no answer, Danny tried to twist to look behind them, as if checking for pursuers.

"Haven't seen anyone following us," Ward assured him. "From the road markers, we have to be about two thirds of the way down. Another ten minutes and we'll get off this damn mountain and get you to the hospital—"

"No," Danny shook his head, frowning. "No hospitals. That'll be the first place they look."

Ward knew that, too. It's just that he wasn't fond of the speed with which he was acquiring new first-aid skills on this road trip. At least it was a through-shot. Danny assured him that he had focused his chi on the body's meridians blah blah blah and was in no danger of bleeding out. "Fine, we'll find a nice private motel to hole up."

"Dinner first."

Ward only threw a look with an arched brow his way before he had to focus on the road to take another turn. His adrenaline was pumping so hard his ears were ringing — or maybe that was a lovely present from all those bullets wheezing by his head earlier, when they'd made their escape. Of course, nobody could compete with Danny's glowing guns, Ward thought with grim satisfaction, and gunned the gas down the slope just a little over the safe limit for the mountain road.

"Ward," Danny said suddenly, very calm. He frowned, staring ahead. "Stop the car."

"What?" Ward was already pumping the breaks just in case. 

"This is the only road down," Danny said quietly, like he was turning an idea over in his head. He threw another look behind the car. "Did you see them follow us at all?"

Ward shook his head. "Didn't see any cars. You think—?"

"Their goons are probably waiting for us at the bottom," Danny finished for him. He threw his head back against the headrest in frustration. "Dammit!"

Ward let the car roll to a complete stop to the side of the empty road. He peered out through the window, towards the edge that dropped off at a steep angle. The ground was a network of twisting moss-covered tree roots mixing with the start of the fresh vegetation, heralding spring. This far down the mountain, the snow had already melted and the rocky ground glittered wetly. They weren't that far from the town either — the street lights glimmered in the distance between the ever-green cypress trees. The hill was probably climbable, but with Danny hurt and looking at the cooler evening hours, it was more than a bit precarious. With one wrong step their escape could turn into a deathtrap. But they couldn't go back up, and Danny had a point about the likelihood of being ambushed if they just continued by road.

He turned to Danny, only to find Danny staring at him. "You're thinking of ditching the car," Ward said slowly. Danny had that kind of look.

"We spray the car with gas and push it off the road. Set it on fire." Danny said in a conversational manner.

What even was Ward's _life_? 

"Think about it: they'll at least take the time to check if we crashed, while we make our getaway in that direction." He nodded forward, where the slope eased down towards the town below. "They won't expect that."

"Uh, _yeah_. For a very good reason," Ward said wryly, eyeing the slope again. In daylight, the hike was a non-issue, but it was a particular brand of crazy to attempt this with only the moon to light their path. Not that it was the craziest thing he'd done lately. Ward peered up and saw the perfect orb of the full moon taunting him.

Danny continued, very reasonably, "We lose them, rent a new car, and get the hell out of dodge..."

"Or, we get lost and freeze to death," Ward countered, eyeing the trees suspiciously.

"It's not that cold. And I've got a perfect sense of direction," Danny assured him — proving that he had, at the very least, a perfect confidence in his own abilities. He was already palming at the passenger door handle, and winced when the movement jarred his wound.

"Wait—!" Ward threw his own car door open and lurched outside. The chilly air that had been kept out by the barrier of glass and metal hit him at once. "Well, that's brisk." It had to be around fifty degrees. He stuck his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. His bruised knees and elbows ached. He was a little banged up from their get-away, but nothing serious. "Okay." 

Ward trotted around the front of the car to the other side, but at the last moment had to set a palm out against the hood for one dizzy moment. Adrenaline could only get you so far, and you felt like shit afterward. When the momentary head-rush passed, he helped Danny climb out of his seat. Danny was at least dressed reasonably well, in his brown leather coat, and thick, workmanlike pants, complete with heavy boots. Ward supported him by the elbow of his good arm. "You sure about this? You really want to hike down a mountain with that?" He nodded toward the shoulder injury.

"We need to throw them off somehow," Danny said. "If we cut through the forest in a straight line, we'll make it to the town line in a few hours." He patted the palm of Ward's hand, still gripping his elbow. His fingers were cold. "I'll make it."

"This is a bad idea," Ward cautioned.

"Do you have any better ones?" Peering up from underneath his brow, Danny looked far too innocent for the kind of life he led. Ward had a sudden vivid memory of the kid Danny used to be: charming and living a charmed life. He hadn't known how to stop then, either. 

Oh, to Hell with it! Ward rolled his eyes, and went to get the spare gas can from the trunk. 

He'd go along, not quite knowing why, except that this was the way — not some bullshit mythical Way, but the same way he first climbed into that plane to leave with Danny. Just something he had to do. A path less traveled by.

A part of him buzzed with a nameless need to find out if they could pull this off. Either Danny was rubbing off on him, or jail-breaking from his stuffy old life in New York had gone to his head.

"But we're binding your shoulder first."  


* * *

On the hill below, the car went up like a fireball from the shot of one of Danny's magic guns. Ward shielded his eyes against the bright flame that mushroomed into the air before quickly caving in on itself. 

"Add property destruction to the list," Ward commented idly watching it burn. The muddy wet ground would hopefully keep the fire from spreading. 

Ward turned to look at Danny, standing at his side. After a solemn moment, they grinned at each other like teenagers who were up to no good. It was time to make their getaway.

Danny nodded towards the incline leading off to the other side. "Shall we?"

The sun had long since rolled behind the horizon, and evening dusk turned to a chilly April night. At least the wind had stopped, and overall, it wasn't the coldest Ward had ever been. He was glad he'd had the foresight to wear thick leather boots; they would come in handy on the rocky ground they would have to navigate. His endurance had also improved since leaving on this trip. His heart used to race just going up a couple of flights of stairs, but running around after Danny, followed by running from various mobsters trying to kill them, was good cardio. He wasn't worried about hiking for a few hours, even only under the light of the gleaming moon and stars. Mostly, he was concerned about Danny. After packing the wound with some gauze from the first-aid kit in the car, Ward had bound Danny's shoulder tightly with strips from the old clean t-shirt. Since the small-caliber bullet had come out the other side, they didn't have to worry about anything stuck inside.

"No heroics. You tell me the minute you start feeling 'off', okay?" Ward waged his index finger in Danny's direction, and received a nod and a faint smile. 

They set off down the hill on the opposite side of their smoldering car. The lightly forested area they were traveling through was quiet, especially at night. Peaceful. There were very few sounds, except the occasional whisper of a bird's wings overhead and a hooting of what he hoped was a night-owl. Ward let Danny set the pace, and despite being the one who wasn't nursing any open wounds, found himself having to work to keep up. Danny just had a way of navigating the forest floor that bordered on magic. The way he placed his feet, he never seemed to encounter a single loose rock, no matter how dark it got with the tree canopy occasionally blocking the bright moonlight. 

The sheer number of times Ward stumbled over a stray root or nearly twisted his ankle sliding in the mud had Danny glance at him with that impish smile and a raised eyebrow, until Ward gave in and asked:

"So they teach this in K'un-Lun?" 

Danny shook his head. "We used to play on the outskirts of the city with Davos. Life in the city was about order and training. Playing outside..." His voice trailed off, looking into the distance, as they moved between the trees in tandem. "It taught me many things."

Ward knew better than most that the past could be a touchy subject. "Well, they don't teach you about hiking in the boarding school I went to."

"I can see that."

Ward swatted his arm, and as if to retaliate the damp rock under his feet shifted and he nearly lost his balance. Danny caught him by the upper arm and steadied him. "Okay?" His blue eyes glittered brightly in the moonlight, searching Ward's face.

Ward nodded. The pause gave him a chance to look at Danny's face and he didn't much like what he saw. Danny's face glittered with perspiration. Ward frowned. "And you?"

Danny shrugged his healthy shoulder. He wrapped his arms around his middle and looked to be shivering slightly. There was hardly any wind, but damp skin cooled faster. As if he sensed Ward's concern focusing in on him, Danny began to bounce on his feet. "We should keep moving."

Ward checked behind them, but there hadn't been any pursuers. In any case, it was unlikely he would spot them before Danny. He peered at his wrist-watch. "We've been walking for fourty-five minutes already. How much longer do you think?" It had occurred to Ward around a thirty-minute mark that they'd ventured out without any water, which he was pretty sure to be a bad idea in general. He was also working on a blister on the toe of his right foot. But Danny was striding ahead, with his let's-go-fight-a-dragon attitude, so Ward had no choice but to catch up. Danny was never going to slow down, and he wasn't going to give up.

"Maybe another hour." Danny huffed in exertion as he navigated a particularly gnarled root. "Keep up, old man," he threw breathlessly over his shoulder.

They walked for some time in silence, and Ward was turning something over in his head.

"You know, this thing you do. You don't need to do it around me."

Danny didn't slow, pushing a low-hanging branch out of his way, as he shot back, "What thing?"

Ward followed as fast as he dared after him, trying to put his feet in the same places Danny did, the thick muddy ground slurping under his feet occasionally. "The charging on ahead no matter the danger. I know you can walk the talk. You don't have to keep proving it."

He heard Danny snort into the night before he stopped unexpectedly so that Ward nearly ran into him. They stood between two thin cypresses, rising like shadows up above their heads.

"What?"

Danny shook his head. "Colleen called it 'bravado'."

"Well, she might know what she's talking about there," Ward told him gently.

Danny was silent. His gaze flickered away from meeting Ward's eyes. But Ward hadn't spent the last couple of months sharing hotel rooms with Danny for nothing. He knew about the need to always keep moving, to stay one step ahead of the questions trying to catch up with you. He knew Danny had nightmares, too.

"Ask me how I know," Ward told him.

Danny pressed his lips together. "You do it, too."

Ward gave a thin smile. "I do it, too."

The forest stayed quiet around them, like a secret keeper.

Ward pulled his phone out of his jacket's pocket and stared at it. They'd each gotten a new burner phone when they first flew in, and Danny mostly used his to text back and forth with Colleen and play mindless video games. Joy still had Ward on read, but at least he knew she was getting the I'm-still-alive texts. That life in New York felt so far away now. Ward peered at the signal-strength. "Gotta love Japan. We're in the middle of fucking nowhere, and I have five bars."

"What are you thinking?"

"I have Jeri on speed dial, you know." Ward gave him an ironic look with an arched brow. "She has people everywhere. She can probably swing us a helicopter ride out. Get you to a nice, warm, safe hospital."

"Jeri could do that, yeah." Danny nodded blandly. He didn't seem particularly surprised or enthused.

"We could have called her at any point. We don't need to be traipsing through the woods on our own like orphans in a fairy tale."

Danny nodded again, and watched him with a little smile lurking in the corner of his lips. It was as if he'd already come to the same conclusion Ward was heading to, and was just waiting for him.

"We're hiking through a forest at night on a mountain in Japan. An hour ago people were shooting at us, and that's just another day in life. We _burned down_ our rental car." Ward gave a little giggle. "Two gaijin and a gun-shot wound between us. Someone might think we have a few screws loose. Or trying to prove something."

A slow grin rolled over Danny's lips. "You haven't complained. Much."

"No," Ward agreed, looking ahead at the path through the dark woods. "And you want to hear something crazy?" He turned to Danny.

"Hit me."

"Here I am, freezing my ass off on a mountain in a foreign country that's trying to kill us, and you know what? It's _fantastic_." Ward met Danny's eyes with what he was sure was a wild looking grin growing on his face. "I'd rather be here than in that New York office, dispensing Dad's orders like some vending machine, any day. Out here, I'm free!" Danny's eyes glittered with sympathy as they stared at each other in silence. Danny _got_ him. In that moment, Ward felt unhinged; he felt absolutely, utterly, liberated from his past self.

With a sudden burst of energy, Ward threw his face up towards the sky and yelled, loud as he could, "I'M FREE, YOU MOTHERFUCKER! Yeah!" He squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in harsh breath of the fresh night air. The sweetness of it! Behind the closed eyelids, his eyes prickled slightly. 

Then, Danny threw and arm around his shoulders, tugging him close. He was warm.

"I hear you," Danny muttered, hot breath against Ward's ear. "I hear you." Danny shook him a little, to bring him back to himself. No matter what happened, Ward knew he wasn't alone.

"I'm free," Ward repeated, slumping sideways against the nearby cypress tree trunk. He wiped his face with his cold hands, running his fingers through his hair to push it back off his face. All of his own bruises, and the blisters on his feet ached with renewed intensity. It was lucky that the vegetation dampened sound, because his voice hadn't echoed far. "Fuck." 

"Sometimes it just hits you," Danny agreed at his side. He'd slid away and slumped back next to him, with a short little grunt. Ward remembered his injury and then, with another twinge of guilt, the possibility of pursuers. When he tilted his head and listened, the forest around them stayed silent.

Except, in the distance, he thought he heard the sound of oncoming rain.

Ward grinned, baring his teeth. Challenge fucking accepted.  


* * *

It'll be fun, Danny had said. 

He was right. Life with Danny sure wasn't boring.


End file.
